Praying is
Yes, I said it. Praying is simple.
Sometimes, we tend to fixate on praying the “right” way when really it’s just a candid conversation with God. You can talk to Him about everything and anything. There’s no format or pressure to do it a certain way.
However, there are ways to deepen your prayer time and make praying more meaningful and intentional. Manifesting prayers begin as a conversation with our Father, about whether or not the thoughts or things you’re praying for are in alignment with His plans for you. It starts by stepping outside of your circumstances and trying to pray intentionally about how He can work within you.
Most of the time, I tend to pray for things or ask Him to do things for me and yes, I know Matthew 7:7 says to ask and you will receive…but you also need to listen to receive.
Jesus shifted my heart from prayer dumping to prayer seeking.
For a long time, I thought prayer dumping was the way to pray because I didn’t know I was living in survival mode.
I wasn’t aware of how I let the trials of life warp my time with God into a space that was full of fear and anxiety. I knew He wouldn’t want me to feel like this or be in this situation, so I’d “pray” about it and hope things would get better. Prayer for me began to turn into a monotonous habit, void of intention. I wasn’t looking for a connection, I was looking for a quick escape.
I'd been in survival mode for so long that I couldn’t see past my immediate needs and stressors. To be fair, when life gets wild it’s hard NOT to focus on the many things that may pop up, but Matthew 6:33 puts it all into perspective. Seek Him. That’s it.
I felt I knew of Him, I’ve seen Him work in my life and I grew up in the church, but I didn’t have a deep connection with Him. I began to realize I didn’t need to worry about anything else (Matthew 6:31).
What I needed to do, was get to know God.
Truly seek Him, learn His character, and how He thought about things. I recall the instance I had this revelation, and it was a major well-duh moment for me. I was at a therapy session for a client and his mother had several of her published books printed up and stored away on one of his shelves. Now I wasn’t snooping per se, but he’d knocked one of them off the shelf and I was curious. So, I decided to take a peek at Mrs. Noel's Book.
The section I read was about prioritizing God. To sum it up, it said:
Most people’s priorities may look like this:
| When they should (and need to) look like this:
|
Period 👏 It was that simple. Shift your focus on God, and watch how he starts to move in your life.
Put Him first and everything else would start to fall into place.
I slowly began to realize I only prayed when I wanted my problems to disappear. That I was using God, not choosing God. He showed me that He wasn’t going to abracadabra my issues away, that He wanted to get to know me. Through our bond, He would lend me His strength and peace in the times I needed it most.
There’s something powerful about praying for closeness, clarity, and confirmation. My prayer journey has been restored and this was the refresh I needed to get myself back on track. I credit a lot of my growth to my prayer closet. So if you needed a sign to create a prayer room, this is it. I can’t stress enough the importance of having a designated space for just you and the Lord.
Here are 4 simple ways you can level up your prayer life 🙏
Step 1: Find your space
I decided to create a prayer closet, but it can be anywhere you’d like it to be. A patio, a garage, anywhere! Below is the before and after of creating my prayer closet.
My space was a typical walk-in closet. Full of clothes, mail, yoga mats, and other things that were collecting dust. Honestly, I needed to downsize and donate (you probably do too, no shade 🤭) I was a bit of a hoarder. My closet was the perfect size for me, my husband, and my daughter if they wanted to join, plus tons of shelving space.
Choosing this space originally started with me intentionally giving the Lord a physical foothold in my home. I wanted a space where I could pray intimately with Him, that was undeniably centered around Him free of distractions. Start to envision where that place could be for you in your home.
Step 2: With decor, less is more
I absolutely love decorating but sometimes, I can go a bit overboard (most times if we're keeping it real 😅) so I decided to take the minimalistic approach. I used fairy lights for ambiance and a calming effect. I tend to go into prayer at the start of my mornings or late at night so this provides a soothing atmosphere to either ease into or end my day. I knew I needed something visually appealing, but not overwhelming.
I also decided to display several inspirational and spiritually guiding books. This was a nice way to add simple yet functional visuals to my space. My top three favorites are:
In that order 🤣
Step 3: Soothing scents
I suggest grabbing a few smell goods that you love to fill your space. I enjoy my candles or candle melts from CandleBarne. They have high-quality scents with amazing shelf life and tons of options to choose from. If I’m going for more of a smoky scent I opt for my incense, which are perfect for shorter praying sessions.
Smell goods add a nice touch to your space and will bring about a sense of warmth and familiarity. This is a great way to elevate your prayer session.
Step 4: Bible study tools (that won't make you snooze)
With my space being so cozy and comforting, I’d be lying if I said I never fell asleep during one of my sessions 😴 jk. I’ve drifted during multiple sessions. It happens, that’s why I invested in several engaging bible study tools. These books enhanced my prayer sessions and leveled up my bible studies as well.
Of course, you're going to need a Bible. Occasionally, I use the bible app, but I like having a physical bible since my phone can be a distraction. If you’re more of a writer, the Quieting Your Heart 6-month bible study journal is very nice for beginners who are trying to build new prayer habits. If you enjoy aesthetically pleasing imagery and creative takes on the Word, The Prayer Journal and this bible study would make you happy.
All of these options are extremely engaging, interactive, and reflective. They will help you make the most of your time with the Lord in a way that’s not overwhelming. I also always keep my stickies on deck because I love to write down prayer requests, gratitude notes, or specific verses that pop out to me during my session. I stick the verses and requests right on the wall and put my gratitude notes in my Blessings Jar. This is a simple way to maintain a heart of gratitude.
You want to engage with our Father in a way that works for you.
Your spirit should feel comforted and refreshed, not stressed out and pressed. Initially, it may be a little challenging to get into the swing of things, but with consistency and a dedicated space to honor Him, you’ll begin to feel a shift in your prayer life.
My prayer for you is that you learn to pray continuously and don’t get discouraged.
“Men ought always to pray; and not to faint” Luke 18:1 (KJV)
